


Bitten

by mcswoonfor_mcdoon



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Hopper is alive, Idiots in Love, LGBT, Love Bites, M/M, Vampire AU, byler, mlm, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:41:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22259653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcswoonfor_mcdoon/pseuds/mcswoonfor_mcdoon
Summary: Will Byers had one rule.Never drink human blood.This was a rule he was fairly close to breaking.
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> hello again! I love vampire au’s so much and I’ve been wanting to write one for a while! this didn’t turn out as well as I wanted to, however, but it’s like the most I’ve ever written and I really want to share it! also, i did not edit it before publication so I’m sorry for any errors. i hope you enjoy!

It wasn't his fault. He didn't have the time to sneak away at any point of the day, and therefor could not eat. Well, the Wheelers have plenty of random snacks stuffed in their pantry, but that's not what Will wants. Needs. 

He isn't even quite sure if he can eat food like that anymore. He isn't sure if he wants to. 

Okay, you may be like, wait— what the hell? What does any of this mean? Well, this is going to take a while to explain. Get comfy.


	2. Look at All the Lonely People

Remember when the Mind Flayer decided to come in and ruin everyone's entire life? Yeah. Well, the creature's possession of Will had left some... odd... side effects. It took about a year for them to start, which was around the time when that blob of guts and cleaning supplies came and tried to kill everyone. At the beginning it wasn't that bad. It started off as a twinge in his stomach— like he was hungry, even if had eaten minutes before. 

He ignored it, labeled it as puberty, as he really had no idea what puberty entailed. But after six months of that, it got worse. And worse, and worse and,

you guessed it,

worse. 

What started as a sharp pain in his abdomen turned into dreadful, horrible, agony. He spent most of the summer before sophomore year sobbing into his pillow while clutching his stomach. Doctors and hospitals were expensive and no help, and since Hawkins Lab was chased out of the town there was no one else to turn to. 

His friends visited him, but couldn't stay long. Joyce ushered them in and out during spaces where it wasn't to bad— but sometimes they weren't quick enough, and the small whimpers Will tried to cover up turned into please to make the pain stop. 

During that time, Will noticed a change in senses, as well. This should have been a very big sign. His eyesight heightened, especially during the night. He couldn't place the difference between night and day by himself, he had to check a clock or had to wait until his mother brought him dinner and kissed the top of his sweat plastered head, her own hands shaking and the scent of cigarettes heavy on her breath and clothes. 

His sense of smell increased as well, and suddenly the entire house was filled with a scent as sweet as flower petals and vanilla cake. Whenever someone stepped a foot in his room, the sugary smell would increase a tenfold and his stomach would lurch. 

His hearing was effected too, as was almost all of his others senses. He could hear the pitter patter of his mother's heart as she informed him that she had gotten ahold of Dr. Owens. 

"I'm so sorry, baby," she had said, cradling his head in her hands. "He's our only hope." She had told Will the the scientist had moved to a small building on the outskirts of Indianapolis, which was at least an hour and a half away. He could barely move as it is, and sitting in a car for that long made his joints recoil and stomach sink. "I'll make you something to eat before we go." She stood up gently. "And please, Will," she said, pausing at the door. There was a hint of desperation in her voice. "Eat. You're wasting away... I can't tell you the last time you've eaten, it's been so long." Will noticed that her eyes were wet with tears. She blinked them away as best she could. "Please, I need you to do this. For me." 

And he tried to. He tried so hard. 

Will ended up throwing up on the driveway, most of his weight leaning against Jonathan. He was pale from his weeks huddled in his room, and frail from the disuse of his muscles. His bones ached with every step, and his stomach screamed. His eyes burned so bad he felt like they were bleeding. He looked as good as he felt, hair greasy and ratted, skin sunken in, basically vacuum sealed around his bones, eyes red and dark. 

Joyce was crying in the passengers seat as Jonathan began to drive them to Dr. Owens. There was a large bowl next to Will, in case he needed to vomit again, as well as a bottle of water and four slices of an orange. He stared out the window, groaning in pain at every too-big-bump on the road and every harsh halt at a stop sign. 

The array of test Dr. Owens' forced on Will seemed excessive and left Will feeling cold and broken. They had given the boy what seemed like gallons of pain medication, and the roaring pain in Will's stomach settled into a dull throbbing. They fed him with liquid through tubes and IV'd saline into his veins to hydrate him. When was the last time he had had water? He couldn't remember. His mind was fuzzy and he felt like he was floating. 

The strong scent of warm vanilla was everywhere, and it made him dizzy to smell so much of it at once. "Go through this with me again," Dr. Owens said, pen scribbling intensely on the papers on his clipboard. "What were the symptoms, specifically." 

"Well," Joyce lit the cigarette that was placed between her fingers, "it started... about last summer, maybe at the beginning of the school year— uh, he... Will complained about some stomach pains, like he was hungry. I thought he just wasn't eating enough," Joyce glanced at her son. "But then he... well, it got worse. Crying, screaming, begging for the pain to stop.

"He stopped eating the week before summer started. He couldn't go to school that week, he spent his time in bed sobbing. The doctors didn't know what it was, they... suggested that his appendix was infected, or that his stomach lining was breaking— I honestly don't remember." Dr. Owens nodded as he wrote more on his clipboard. "But... none of the evaluations stuck, they were all proven false, and we don't have the money for any treatments, especially since non of them were helpful anyway. They told me to just wait it out; but it's gotten worse. He's skin and bone. He talks about being hungry— at least I think he does," yes, he was so, so hungry, but he couldn't eat, "but he throws up when I give him anything. And I just...

"I couldn't watch him die so slowly like that. So I asked Hop to help me find you and.. and here we are." Dr. Owens nodded, writing more. He glanced at Will. 

"Does this all sound right to you, kiddo?" Will nodded, then thought to bring up his pronounced senses. 

"Hearing," he babbled, his entire body feeling light. 

"What?"

"Hearing... and smell, and eyes." Owens stared at him for a moment longer. 

"Check his ears and eyes, and ask to see if that brain scan is done yet." 

Two days and multiple more tests later, nothing had come up. Dr. Owens walked into the room where the Byers' were staying. He looked almost sad, and Will could tell, through his hazy state, that the news was not good. If he was dying, he wished that whatever it was would hurry and kill him already so his family wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Jonathan stood up, walking towards Owens. "What's the news?" he asked, anxiously playing this the sleeves of his shirt. At some point Nancy Wheeler has com, bearing clothes and snacks for the available members of the family. Will didn't know where she was now, ir if she was even in the facility at all. 

"It's not good," Joyce guessed, rocking slightly in her seat. Will closed his eyes, his throat closing up in a painful way. He felt like screaming, crying, and throwing up all at once. 

Dr. Owens frowned. "We've done every test we can think of. Nothing comes up positive or negative. I don't m ow what's going on, but it is no disease. This has something to do with—" 

"Don't even say it!" Joyce cried, and Will squeezes his eyes shut even tighter. "That place has fucked all of us over, so many goddamn times!" she stood and stoped out of the room, saying, "I need a smoke. And I have to call Jim." Jonathan kept his stand at the end of the hospital bed, choosing his words carefully. 

"Well, what do we do?" he asked. 

"I'm not... I'm not sure, I'm sorry to say. Maybe a few more tests—"

"More? You just said that the test weren't working—"

"They aren't working for what we were looking for. Now that I can confidently say that it is no human illness we are working with, I can go into this with new ideas." He looked at Will. "I'm sorry, kiddo. But we need another blood sample or two." 

Will simply nodded, the pain medication that was pumped into him still giving him a dreamy feel. But he knew how dire the situation was. He knew that the upside down had to have taken part in this, and he felt incredibly stupid for not catching onto that before. A 'nurse,' aka just another scientist with a little more medical knowledge than the others, walked over to Will, shuffling along a bulky cart full of random objects behind her. She tightly tied a band of fabric at the top of his arm, before lightly pressing the skin on the inside of his arm to find a vein. It wasn't long until she had her target. 

She prepared the needle, unpackaging it and ensuring that it was safely secure to the vial that would collect his blood. Will looked away as the woman cleaned the area around the vein with a packaged wipe before grabbing the syringe and plunging it into his arm. It didn't hurt to bad, not as bad as the IV's they had forced into his wrists and hands, and wasn't to painful when they pulled out the needle either. Except the nurse didn't pull out the syringe. She paused, and a gasp rolled across the room. "What?" Will said, turning to face the room once more. Jonathan was staring at him with wide eyes, and Will slowly turned to the nurse. 

The nurse stood there gaping at the syringe that was still stuck in his arm. He looked down at it. 

Instead of the deep red color of blood, there was a thick black substance sucked up into the vile. Will screamed, ripping his arm away from the nurse and pulling the syringe out. He dropped the needled object and grabbed at the red splotch where the syringe had just been. A thin trail of inky black was gushing out of the pinprick of a hole and down his arm to his elbow. "What did you do?!" he cried, pulling his arm closer to his face. 

"N.. nothing!" the nurse responded, staring at the boy's arm as if it would come alive, detach from his body and strangle her. "I swear... I—" 

Dr. Owens walked into the room, Joyce Byers not far behind him. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked, his eyes turning from the shocked scientists, to an even more shocked nurse, to a sobbing Will Byers who was holding to his arm for dear life, to the syringe with a vile full of black liquid. "What the hell..." 

Later that night, Will sat staring at the cold white ceiling. Jonathan and Joyce were fast asleep, soft snores coming from the other side of the room where they used chairs as beds. His pain had gotten worse, and no amount of medication could end it. He needed... something, he just wasn't sure what. The sweet scent thickened in the air, and Will's stomach screamed at him. This should have been hint number... whatever number we're on. Slowly, Will stood up, clutching at his abdomen with the effort. His body seemed to scream yes, this is what I need. 

Will walked slowly to the door of his room, dragging along the pole that held his IV fluids and such. He opened the door slightly, and a bright white light flooded into the room. He squinted as his eyes adjusted, not use to this type of brightness. He wanted to follow the sweet smell, one of roses and cinnamon, so he stepped through the doorway and found himself in the empty hallway that sat outside of his room. Will glanced around; he didn't know this place well. Voices echoed from just around the hall. The roses and cinnamon grew closer, hints of mint and the spicy outdoors following. Will ran back into his room, the pole dragging along behind him recklessly, and jumped into his bed. 

His ears rang as he struggled to listen in on the conversation, his hearing becoming so clear that he could practically hear the scratching of mice as they ran inside the wall. He shivered, and instead directed his talents to the group of people outside. "How's he doing?" he heard a gruff voice said. Hopper. 

"Well," that was Owens, "we aren't really sure what's going on with him. Joyce told you all of this, I'm sure." 

"Yeah, she did. You really think the Upside Down has something to do with this?" Will's jaw clenched at the mention of that... place. 

"Well... yes. It's an odd case. And earlier today, we were drawing blood and... it's..." 

"What?" 

"It's black. The boy's blood is... well it isn't blood, and I'm sure that's very important. But I can't figure out where that fits in... this is the room." Will's eyes snapped shut. The door freaked open, and a group of two walked into the room. It was only Hopper and Owens, no one else. 

Hopper walked over to the bed, and looked down at Will, gently shaking him. Will slowly opened his eyes and pretended to yawn. "Hopper?" he asked, trying for his best just-woke-up voice. It seemed to work. 

"Hey, kid. How are you feeling?" Will winced at the question, arm going to clutch his abdomen. 

"My stomach..." 

"I know. Hey Owens, could you wake up Joyce for me?" Will was very aware that Hopper's arm had not left his shoulder. He could hear Hopper's heart beat, feel the blood circulating in his veins. The scent of that sweetness was so strong. This should have been the biggest hint, the big, bright red flag that screamed "You are not human!!" 

Will's body vibrates with an odd, animalistic urge. His joints coiled up, and a sharp, horrid pain flashed through his mouth. His breathing deepened, and his hand went up in a flash to grab Hopper's wrist. "Hey, kid, you uh... you okay?" Hopper asked, trying to pull his arm away. Will had a grip of steel on his wrist, before tugging him closer to his mouth. "Will... Will? Hey!" Will placed his mouth on Hopper's arm and bit. "Will! What the hell!" 

"Will? Honey? What's going..." 

"Jesus Christ! Secur-" 

"No, it's okay, don't call anyone! Fuck, kid, stop that!" 

Will's body felt like it was floating. 

Good news: he had finally found what he had been craving, as well as what that sweet smell was whenever someone was nearby. His pain subsided into nothing. His viens seemed to soak up and his body felt warm and tingly. 

Bad news: he had just bitten the only father figure he had ever had and was now drinking his blood. 

Will was wrenched backwards. He felt dazed and more full than he had in months, and that was after only a little bit of the stuff. It was addicting. And then he realized, with full, horrible terror, that he had drank someone's blood and he'd liked it. What in the name of God did that mean? He was about to turn to his mother, about to apologize and cry and whatever else he needed to do to be okay. He felt like he was about to throw up. Before he could do anything, though, he felt a harsh, sharp pain in his side. The world around him went black. 

Will woke up in a car. For the first time in months he could tell it was night time now, about midnight or even the early hours of the morning. The car was rattling down an old dirt road, an unrecognizable song playing softly on the radio. Will didn't feel any pain at all. Not even in his neck after being cramped in an odd position in the back of this car for who knows how long. 

The boy slowly sat up, groaning softly with the effort. "Where am I?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes. 

"We're almost home, Will," someone, maybe Jonathan, said. 

"Home?" he asked, confusion heavy in his voice. What happened to Dr. Owens' lab? 

... 

Why were they at that lab in the first place, again? 

Wasn't Hopper there? Where did he go? 

"What happened?" 

"Nothing, honey," he heard his mom say. "Get some rest. You deserve it." The thing was, Will wasn't tired. He was never tired anymore. Just in pain. 

What happened to that pain? 

"Why were we at that lab again? What's going on? Where's Hopper?" An awkward air settled in the car. No one answered. "Tell me," he said. "Please." 

"You were sick," Joyce got out, "we found out what was going on. And we can't... we can't fix it, but we know how to help. Maybe." 

"And Hopper?"

"He's okay. It wasn't that deep, you didn't hurt him to bad." 

Hurt him? 

Will had hurt him?

Why couldn't he remember? 

"I can't... I don't..." 

"It'll come back to you. Just sleep, even if you feel like you can't." 

So will did just that. He curled up into a ball and laid his head on the car window, staring out at the dark trees that zoomed by, and forced himself to drift off into a dreamless slumber. 

When Will woke up again, he was in his bed. The memories of what had happened hit him like freight train. Before he knew what was happening he was up and stumbling into the bathroom, then vomiting into the toilet. Will spat one last time into the toilet before standing, flushing, and rinsing out his mouth with the tinny sink water. He stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was still a mess, and his bones were prominent and visible, but his skin now has some color, and his stomach pain had disappeared completely. 

Now he understood.


	3. Where do They All Come From?

That was a year ago. It was summer again, now before the dreaded junior year. And that is where we left off, at Michael Wheeler's house for the sleepover to top all sleepovers. No, the teens did not think they were to old for sleepovers and no, they were not embarrassed by the fact they were having one to celebrate almost being out of high school. Sure, their freedom was a year and a half away, but they didn't care. 

As you may remember, Will Byers, one of two supernatural people at this party, was between a rock and a hard place. To start off, he hadn't had anything to eat since the night before, and now it was almost 12 am and he was starving. To add onto this, no one except for his step-sister El, or Jane, knew about his eating habits. 

In the past year Will had learned a lot about being a vampire. He learned that none of the stories people tells about vampires were totally true. Sure, there were some truths in the tales, but he can be out in the sunlight and be just fine, and he isn't allergic to garlic. He also learned that he can bleed, it just isn't... normal blood. 

When he had first gotten his blood drawn at the lab last summer, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But, as was told, his 'blood,' or whatever it was that flowed through his veins, had ended up turning pitch black. This is why he needs to drink blood to survive. 

When he drinks the blood his body basically... recycles it. It's weird, and gross, and kinda confusing, but that's just how it works. When he gets too hungry his blood turns black, because he's run out of the stuff and needs to feed again. If you're confused, don't worry, because Will hasn't really wrapped his head around the idea yet, either. His senses also heighten when he's hungry, as a way to tell him Hey, dummy! You need hunt! 

Owens' lab had tried to give him a blood substitute, whatever that was, but it didn't work the same for him. He found that the best way to feed was to go deep into the forest and hunt for squirrels, deer, and whatever else he found out there. It wasn't quiet the same as human blood, though he's only had that once. It doesn't fill him up for long, and if anything it makes his longing worse. He never gives in to his need, however, because Will Byers had one rule. 

Never drink human blood. 

He remembers the satisfaction when he but Hopper, but he also removers the disgust. The fear. He didn't want to go through that, or put anyone else through that, again. 

Though, due to the events of what had happened today (he hadn't been able to eat), this was a rule he was fairly close to breaking. Sharp pains gouged at his stomach, the scent of blood surrounding him. He lives his friends, he really does, but he needs to find away out of this. At least for a few minutes. "Hey guys, I think I'm gonna step outside for a while. I'll be back in soon, don't worry." 

El glanced at him, a knowing look in her eyes. He could trust her to keep them occupied while he went out to find... anything that he could. Mike looked at him, worried. "Hey, do you mind if I go with you? I need fresh air too. Just for a moment." 

"Mike, I'm not so sure-" El started, but Will cut her off. 

"It's okay, El. Sure, you can come with me," he said. Just for a moment. Then he'll go back inside and I'll be able to do my thing. 

The two boys walked out the basement door and closed it. The summer air was warm, and the stars shone so bright that Will was sure it would beautiful if he didn't have night vision activated. The sounds of their friend's laughter and voices were muffled by the door. Mike and will sat down next to each other. Now that Mike was so close, Will could smell it. His blood smelled like ripe, sun warmed strawberries and mint-and-chip ice cream. 

Will never really found out why blood smelled so sweet, instead of like iron or metal or something. It really wasn't helpful, especially when he was starving. Okay, not as starving as he had been the summer before, but he definitely needed to eat soon. His stomach felt like it was being squeezed by a hint fist. He winced slightly, hunching over. "Hey, Will, are you okay?" Mike asked, reaching over and gabbing Will's shoulder. A sickening feeling of déjà-vu washed over the teen, and Will wanted nothing more than to run away. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he said, turning his head. He had to get away, some how. His insides felt like they were twisting. 

"Um... I have a weird question. About last summer?" 

Fuck. 

"Uh... yeah? What is it?" 

"Well... Joyce said that you were okay, and that you guys found a doctor that took care of you. But she never... she never said what you had," the boy said, scratching the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't clutched onto Will's shoulder. Will began to shake. "I was just wondering," 

"I'm a vampire," Will spat out, trying to wiggle his way out of Mike's grip. Mike laughed. 

"What?" 

"I.. I'm a vampire," Will repeated. Mike laughed until he glanced at the other boy and saw the serious face that he had. 

"Oh," was all he said. 

"Yeah, oh." 

"Well... uh... okay?" Will turned his head at that. "Is it fun?" Will barked out a laugh. 

"No, it isn't." Will looked at the other boy. "Do you actually believe me?" 

"I mean, yeah. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've seen." Will was the one who was shocked now. 

"Oh," is what he said. 

"Should I believe you?" Mike asked, scooting closer to the other boy. Mike's scent washed over him, overflowing all his senses. An alarm bell went off in his head. He needed more. 

"Yes," Will said, breathlessly. He moved even closer to Mike, staring at his eyes. The rest of the party was still inside, talking about some game, or maybe it was a movie? Will couldn't comprehend it, practically all he could hear was Mike's heart beat. Will moved his hand over, gently grabbing Mike's wrist. The boy was wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans, his pale arms practically glowing in the moonlight. Will stared as he traced a line down the inside of Mike's smooth arm, listening as Mike's breath hitched at the action. This wasn't good. 

A sharp pain in Will's mouth as his canines elongated, pointing and sharpening until they were long enough to puncture deep into someone's flesh. Will looked up from Mike's arm, and looked at the other boys flushed face. He didn't want to kill Mike. He should stop. 

But soon Will was leaning closer, and Mike was tilting his head to the side to give the other boy more access. Will licked along Mike's neck, listening as Mike's breathing stuttered. He lifted his mouth up to Mike's ear, and whispered, "You're so pretty," before bringing himself back down and preparing himself to sink his teeth into the other boy's jugular. He paused. What if he went to far? What if he couldn't stop once he started. He'd almost forgotten his rule, the only thing that kept him going, kept him sane— 

"Do it," Mike whimpered. And Will's train of thought crashed and broke apart as he went for it, biting down, breaking Mike's skin. He stopped himself before going to far. If Mike bled out because of him he would have to find the nearest wooden stake, and that seemed like a lot of work. He wouldn't be able to live with himself. 

Mike shuddered our a gasp, and Will wondered if he really enjoyed this that much. Hopper had been in pain, he remembers that clearly. But Mike...

Everything about Mike was different. 

His blood was sweeter, purer. Will could get drunk in this stuff, honestly. Will lapped up the blood that poured out of the two puncture wounds, causing Mike to squirm and huff out a quiet moan. With of last lick Will pulled away, wiping off his mouth. "You okay, Mikey?" 

Mike seemed to be in a daze, his face flushed. The area that Will had bitten on his neck was slightly red and most definitely going to bruise, that's what happened with Hopper. Mike was shaking slightly one of his trembling hands clutched hard on Will's shoulder and the other behind him holding him up. He shuddered and whimpered, "Yeah," in a voice that was a pitch higher than normal. Will felt the urge to pull Mike close, so that's what he did. He pulled Mike close and held him up in his chest. 

His vision had darkened and returned to normal. He could no longer hear Mike's heartbeat, and the scent of blood was barely traceable to him. He felt like he might be full for the rest of his life. "I'm sorry," Will said, holding Mike tighter. He felt disgusted with himself. "I was so hungry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." 

"You didn't scare me," Mike said, and Will looked down to see Mike was staring up it him. Mike's face turned red. "Weirdly, it felt good." Will laughed slightly. 

"Really?" he asked, smiling. 

"Yeah." Mike was still staring at him, now glancing down at his lips. The two closed the space between each other, before Mike pulled back and spit on the floor. "You taste like blood," he laughed, gagging slightly. Will licked his lips. 

"I think it tastes fine." Mike pulled out of Will's grip and hit his shoulder slightly. 

"We should get back inside," Mike said, standing up. The other boy helped Will up. Will turned to mike before he opened the door, saying, "We'll finish this later. I'd suggest you hide that." Mike tried to pull his shirt up over the tender bite on his neck, but it was to no use. Will knew he would figure out an explanation, so he wasn't that worried. 

Maybe being a vampire isn't so bad, Will decided as he walked back to the group, a smile on his face. El looked at him and smiled, while Mike came up behind him and 'sneakily' held his hand.


End file.
